Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep Vehicles Recalled for Dangerous Takata Airbags

What’s the Problem

Owners of certain older Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and affiliated vehicles are being told not to drive their cars, trucks, or SUVs until a critical safety recall repair is completed. The warning comes from Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis) and federal safety authorities due to defective Takata airbag inflators that can explode with metal shrapnel during deployment — in minor crashes or even routine airbag deployment — causing severe injury or death.

These defective airbags are part of one of the largest and longest-running safety campaigns in automotive history. Despite millions of repairs completed over many years, a significant number of vehicles remain unrepaired and extremely dangerous to operate.

Allegations

The core safety issue is the Takata airbag inflator defect. Vehicles equipped with certain Takata airbag modules can experience explosive ruptures upon deployment, sending metal fragments into the passenger compartment. These ruptures have been tied to multiple fatalities and hundreds of injuries in the United States alone.

Federal regulators — including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — are urging owners not to drive affected vehicles until the airbag has been replaced under recall. Owners of vehicles that still have an open and unrepaired recall are at significant risk of life-threatening injuries from what should be a standard safety system.

Recall / Safety Notice

The safety warning applies to a wide range of older vehicles that have yet to receive the Takata airbag recall repair. While tens of millions of Takata inflators have already been replaced nationwide, hundreds of thousands of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and related vehicles remain unrepaired and have been placed on an urgent “do not drive” advisory.

Affected vehicles span model years from the early 2000s through part of the 2010s and include trucks, SUVs, and sedans. They include (but are not limited to):

• Older Dodge Ram pickup trucks

• Dodge Durango SUVs

• Dodge Dakota pickups

• Dodge Charger and Challenger

• Chrysler 300 sedans

• Jeep Wrangler SUVs

• Chrysler Aspen

• Mitsubishi Raider (closely related to Dodge models)

This safety campaign is ongoing — the message to owners is clear: if your vehicle still shows an open Takata airbag recall, it should not be driven until repaired.

Symptoms / What to Watch For

Unlike typical mechanical defects that might trigger warning lights or drivability problems, the Takata airbag issue has no obvious “symptoms” during normal vehicle use. The danger lies in the airbag itself — which may explode without warning if deployed in a crash or collision event.

You won’t see a dashboard light or hear unusual noises before the airbag deploys. The only way to determine whether your vehicle is affected is by checking whether a Takata airbag recall repair has been completed on your specific VIN.

How to Proceed

If you own one of the affected vehicles or are unsure, take the following steps right away:

• Check whether your specific vehicle still has an open Takata airbag recall by contacting the manufacturer or using your VIN with the federal recall lookup tools.

• If your vehicle is under an open recall, do not drive it until the defective airbag inflator is replaced.

• Schedule the recall repair immediately at an authorized dealership. Recall repairs for safety issues like this are performed at no cost to the owner.

• Keep thorough records of all communications, appointments, and repair orders associated with this recall.

• If you’ve experienced injury, property damage, or near-misses because of the defective airbag, document what occurred and consider speaking with counsel about your rights.